Electric

Tesla Recalls Two-Thirds of 2016 Vehicles

Tesla Motors is recalling 53,000 Model S and Model X cars globally because the electric parking brake in these electric vehicles might stick and fail to release, the automaker said.

The defective gear at fault, manufactured by a third-party supplier, may be present in vehicles built between February and October of 2016, according to Tesla. However, no accidents have been linked to the problem.

The issue doesn’t pose a safety concern on the road, but the problem might strand a driver eager to leave a garage or parking lot.

“If this gear were to break, the parking brake would continue to keep the car from moving, but the parking brake would then be stuck in place,” Tesla explained on its website. “There have been no reports of the parking brake system failing to hold a parked vehicle or failing to stop a vehicle in an emergency as a result of this condition, and this part has no impact on the car’s regular braking systems. We have also determined that only a very small percentage of gears in vehicles built during this period were manufactured improperly.”

Less than 5% of the recalled vehicles may have the defective gear, Tesla said.

The recall will begin immediately, but replacement parts for all affected vehicles aren't expected to become available until October. The repair will take less than 45 minutes.

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